


A Parting Glass

by segerge



Series: TASK FORCE [67]
Category: HERO Champions
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-03
Updated: 2016-08-03
Packaged: 2018-07-29 04:47:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7670683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/segerge/pseuds/segerge
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(July 8th, 2150) It's the last day of Bob and Julie's life.  Their children and closest surviving friends come to pay their last respects.  So does Dominus.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Parting Glass

**Author's Note:**

> #### DRAMATIS PERSONAE
> 
> **Clan Hawkins**
> 
>   * Dr. Bob Hawkins (AKA Starforce I), retired gadgeteer, former President of the Venusian Republic
>   * Julie Dormyer Hawkins (AKA Ladyhawk), retired ninja with latent powers of temporal visualization, former President of the United States
>   * Nathan Hawkins (AKA Relativity), son of Bob & Julie Hawkins, retired speedster, former Secretary-General of the Terran Confederation
>   * Laura Renton (AKA Chrona), daughter of Bob & Julie Hawkins, retired time elemental
>   * James Hawkins, son of Bob & Julie Hawkins, retired gadgeteer
>   * Jillian Hawkins (AKA Firewall), daughter of Bob & Julie Hawkins, retired cyberkinetic
> 

> 
> **TASK FORCE (Galactic-era supergroup)**
> 
>   * Theodore Jameson, Jr. (AKA Ranger), disgustingly-powerful speedster, leader
>   * Olivia d'Alembert (AKA Thelambra), wife of Ted Jameson, psionic and luck-based psychokinetic
>   * Zes'arou Al'Gari Vikon (AKA Sage), Ambassador Plenipotentiary of the Varanyi Empire, disgustingly-powerful psionic
>   * Theodore Hawkins, Jr. (AKA Starforce IV), grandson of James & Nicole Hawkins, power-armor wearer/gadgeteer
> 

> 
> **villains**
> 
>   * Nestor Medina (AKA Dominus), disembodied gestalt of a disgustingly-powerful psionic and power-armor wearer
> 

> 
> **others**
> 
>   * Victoria Guiterrez, Captain, Terran Confederation Space Force, Master of TCSV _Antares_ , granddaughter of James & Nicole Hawkins
>   * T'Nereq Ch'uuk Skolvasian, Captain of the Varanyi Star Galleon _Sitharados_ -A
>   * Shina Arikawa, Hawkins family retainer
> 

> 
> **AUTHOR'S NOTE 1** : The soundtrack to this story can be found [here](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hMdoGet2A8). Its lyrics are in italics
> 
>  **AUTHOR'S NOTE 2** : Telepathy is denoted by (( )), internal monologue by [[ ]]
> 
>  **AUTHOR'S NOTE 3** : Bob and Julie are 188 years old chronologically and 109 physically; their children are chronologically 154-157 years old and 77-79 years old physically
> 
> * * *

  
_Of all the money that e'er I had,_  
_I spent it in good company,_  
_And all the harm that e'er I've done,_  
_'Alas it was to none but me._

(TCSV _Antares_ , approaching Venus)

(Nathan 'Relativity' Hawkins sits by himself in one of _Antares_ ' VIP quarters. The door chimes)

 **Relativity** : "Come in."

(James Hawkins enters, carrying a small bag with him)

 **James** (smiles): "Beware of brothers bearing gifts."

(he opens the bag, revealing a rare-vintage single malt scotch whiskey and four glasses)

 **Relativity** : "You know that won't make the pain go away, don't you?"

 **James** (sitting down next to Nathan): "In the long term, you're correct." (pours drinks for himself and Nathan) "I'm more interested in the short-term right now."

(they clink their glasses together in a toast, then each take a sip)

 **Relativity** : "By this time tomorrow, Mom and Dad will be gone." (beat, looks out the cabin window) "I can't imagine a world without them. They've always BEEN there..."

 **James** : "It will be a blessing to them. They've lingered for far too long because what's left of their medical nannies won't give up."

 **Relativity** : "And that's what we have to look forward to in about 40 years or so."

(they each take a sip)

 **James** : "So how much of a zoo is it going to be dirtside?"

 **Relativity** : "The rest of the family have been making trips over the past month to say their good-byes. Today is just immediate family... and some surprise guests from the other side of the Galaxy."

 **James** (eyes widening): "Uncle Vikon's coming?"

 **Relativity** (smiles): "And Aunt T'Nereq. Their Star Galleon made Venusian orbit about an hour ago

 **James** : "I'll get to catch up on Theo Junior's latest adventures, then!"

(the door chime interrupts James)

 **Relativity** : "Come in."

(Jillian 'Firewall' Hawkins enters, shepherding a high-tech wheelchair carrying Laura 'Chrona' Renton)

 **Firewall** : "If I go the rest of my life without seeing any of Laura's worthless children or grandchildren it won't be long enough!"

 **Relativity** (to Jillian): "Hello yourself, Short and Snarky." (to Laura) "You'll be all right, won't you?"

 **Chrona** (nods): "I have to do this, Nate. They're my parents too, you know."

 **Relativity** : "It's going to be stressful. I don't know if it'll trigger an episode..."

 **Chrona** : "Relax." (points to James) "Nerd-mite here assured me the nullifier's more than strong enough to keep me stabilized."

 **James** (to Nathan): "I took her most powerful episode measured, multiplied by 5, and used that as my design baseline." (beat, apologetically) "Unfortunately, I could only mount it on a wheelchair."

 **Relativity** (to Laura): "DAMN Dominus for trying to use you as a Doomsday Weapon, anyway."

 **Firewall** : "On *that* cheery note, Dominus moved a whole millimeter last year. I think his time-bubble may be starting to weaken."

 **Chrona** (muttered): "Only took half a century..."

 **James** (to Jillian): "Relax, sis. By the time it's dissipated, we'll all be safely..."

(James catches himself before he can complete the sentence, looking embarrased as he does so)

 **Firewall** : "SO not the best topic to be discussing today, bro." (beat, looks at the bottle on the table) "Save any for me?"

(James pours his twin sister a glass)

(another chime sounds from the viewscreen off to the side)

 **Ship's AI** : "Incoming call from CIC, sir. Captain Guiterrez."

 **Relativity** : "Put her on."

(the screen jumps, and _Antares_ ' captain is sitting at her station in CIC. She bears a strong familial resemblance to James)

 **Guiterrez** : "Secretary-General Hawkins? Quick status update. We're on final approach and should be in our assigned orbit in 5 minutes. Once we're secure from maneuvering, we'll port down to Dormyer Manor."

 **Relativity** : "Thank you, captain."

(the viewscreen blanks out)

(James has drifted over to the cabin window. Jillian joins him. _Antares_ has moved within the cone cast by the shade in the Sol-Venus L1 point, and the primary soletta is high above the approaching planet. Earth-like clouds swirl over blue oceans, much like Earth)

 **Firewall** : "Getting your tech jones for the day?"

 **James** : "I never get tired of looking at it." (beat) "It always blows my mind that Dad basically did all this with technology Jules Verne could have understood."

 **Firewall** : "Jules Verne would have choked on the number of zeroes before the decimal point of every parameter involved."

 **Chrona** (wheelchair joining them at the window): "Would that include the budget, too?"

(they chuckle. Nathan now joins them at the window. Venus now fills the lower third of the cabin window. Running lights of another ship appear in the distance, eventually resolving itself into a Varanyi Star Galleon as the muted rumble of _Antares_ ' engines fades to nothingness)

 **Firewall** : "Uncle Vikon?"

 **Relativity** : "Yep."

 **James** (to Jillian): "You guys weren't here yet when Nate told me."

 **Relativity** (turns for the door): "Let's go, guys."

* * *

_And all I've done for want of wit,_  
_To memory now I can't recall,_  
_So fill to me the parting glass,_  
_Goodnight and joy be with you all._

(Stately Dormyer Manor Mark III, Lakewood, Ishtar Terra, Venus)

(a pinkish-white swirl of light appears in the foyer. Captain Guiterrez, Nathan, Laura, James, and Jillian step through as Shina Arikawa glides in from the Great Room)

 **Shina** : "Konichiwa, children!"

(the Hawkins children take turns hugging Shina)

 **Shina** (to Jillian): "I was wondering if I could borrow you for some troubleshooting."

 **Firewall** : "There a problem with the server?"

 **Shina** : "Yes. It started about an hour ago, and has gotten really bad in the last five minutes."

 **Firewall** (pulling a small deck out of her pocket and walking into the Great Room): "Let me take a look at it."

 **James** (to Laura while moving next to her wheelchair): "Looks like I'm your sherpa for a while."

 **Chrona** (smiles): "You'll get used to it, Nerd-mite."

 **Relativity** : "Shina, a moment?"

 **Shina** : "Certainly, Master Nathan."

(they walk over to the library door)

 **Relativity** : "Do you have any plans after tonight?"

 **Shina** : "I haven't thought that far ahead." (beat, glancing toward the Master Bedroom) "Tomorrow will be the first day in centuries in which I haven't had someone to protect."

 **Relativity** : "So your contract with Clan Ishikawa will be fulfilled when Mom dies?"

 **Shina** : "Yes."

 **Relativity** (beat): "Have you considered staying on with one of us?"

 **Shina** : "I would be honored." (looks at Laura) "Of all of you, Mistress Laura looks to be the one in most need of assistance."

 **Relativity** : "It would be a great relief to Jillian if you could. She's been Laura's caregiver for years, more often than not without any other help."

 **Shina** : "I will set it up with them tomorrow."

 **Relativity** : "Thank you."

(they head back to the landing party from the _Antares_. Captain Guiterrez is looking at a display holding the last versions of both Starforce's and Ladyhawk's armor from the early 21st century and various pictures of them from their superheroic careers. Ladyhawk's old katanas rest on a display stand in front of her armor)

(there is the sound of low conversation from the Great Room, and more people enter. One is a middle-aged man in power armor, two more have the ageless look and bearing of Empyreans, and two are elderly Varanyi)

 **Guiterrez** (looking at the Empyreans and recognizing them): "Ted Jameson? Olivia d'Alembert? You... you're both supposed to be dead!"

 **Ranger** (smiles): "As far as you're concerned, Captain, we still are."

 **Thelambra** : "We would appreciate your silence concerning our reluctance to die."

 **Guiterrez** : "Of course!"

 **James** (looking at the power-armor wearer): "Hey, Junior? No respect for your elders?"

 **Starforce IV** (coming over to shake James' hand): "Gramps!"

(Vikon and T'Nereq drift over as well)

 **Chrona** (to T'Nereq): "So what's it been like serving as an interstellar taxi-driver to a team of superheroes?"

 **T'Nereq** : "It's been... interesting. Not *remotely* what I was expecting to do when Vikon abdicated in favor of our son."

 **Relativity** : "You two brought him up right. Chegath's every bit the Sh'Garothayn that Vikon was."

 **Sage** : "It was time for a change, anyway. Better that Chegath take the Throne at the height of his energy than toward the end of his life like, say, Vathcersazj Iron Face."

 **T'Nereq** (pointing to Vikon): "My husband wanted to wander the Galaxy after spending most of his life on only two worlds."

 **James** : "So it was a mid-life crisis, then?"

(T'Nereq looks puzzled, then looks at Vikon. Their eyes glow)

 **T'Nereq** (laughing): "No."

 **Sage** : "Resurrecting TASK FORCE to join my adventure? THAT was the mid-life crisis."

(the humans laugh, and the Varanyi smile)

 **Ranger** : "As Captain Guiterrez inadvertantly pointed out, it was becoming almost impossible to explain our longevity to the rest of Humanity."

 **Thelambra** : "When Vikon extended his offer to us, we couldn't resist."

 **James** (looking at Theo Junior): "Neither could my grandson."

 **Starforce IV** (grinning): "Hey, it wouldn't be TASK FORCE unless Starforce was in it!"

 **Ranger** : "He gave me someone to yell at for oddball behavior. Just like the old days."

(they laugh)

 **Chrona** : "Where's the rest of your team?"

 **Ranger** : "Retired."

 **Relativity** : "Oh?"

 **Ranger** : "The medical nannies in both Vikon and T'Nereq have started to die. They'll be gone too in another year or so." (beat) "We've been dropping everyone off at their homeworlds on our way back to Earth. Theo, Olivia, and I are the last ones to be delivered."

 **Relativity** : "Helluva time to make it back home..."

 **Thelambra** : "We were actually hoping we'd make it back before they were gone."

(Ted looks over the landing party from the _Antares_ )

 **Ranger** (to James): "I thought Nicole would have been here."

 **James** : "She's in Arcadia with her brother. They're finalizing the relocation of the Empyreans off-planet."

 **Thelambra** : "Finally! So where are we heading?"

 **James** : "A very habitable world antispinward of Earth, off all major trade routes." (beat) "I'm the only non-Empyrean who knows where it will be."

 **Firewall** (from the Great Room): "Guys? Mom and Dad are out."

 **Ranger** : "I think that's our cue to move back to the Great Room."

* * *

  
_Of all the comrades that e'er I had,_  
_They're sorry for my going away,_  
_And all the sweethearts that e'er I had,_  
_Who'd wish me one more day to stay._

(Great Room, Stately Dormyer Manor. One second later)

(Bob and Julie are hobbling in from the Master Bedroom as everyone else enters from the foyer. They are both very old, wrinkled, and bent as if crippled by the weight of their years alone)

 **Ladyhawk** : "Hello."

 **Starforce** (coughs): "Hi."

 **Relativity** (pointing to Starforce IV): "Help me with them."

(Starforce IV helps his namesake, while Nathan guides Julie. They are eventually resting on one of the couches)

 **Starforce** : "Jillian, will you STOP playing video games for one *moment*? You'll go blind if you keep doing that..."

 **Firewall** : "You've only been telling me that for a century and a half, you old fart! Don't you want your server fixed?"

 **Ladyhawk** : "It can wait, dear."

(everybody sits or stands alert)

 **Starforce** : "As you all know, the last of the medical nanobots implanted into our bodies on Varan have finally died."

 **Ladyhawk** : "We will not live to see the dawn."

 **Sage** : "But yet you both got to experience the full measure of life which Yinda'r had alloted each of you before you were born." (beat) "With each other."

 **Starforce** (bitter): "Like *hell* I did."

 **Sage** : "I saved your lives! Is *this* how humans truly show gratitude?"

 **Starforce** : "You prolonged our deaths! I haven't been able to sing for 20 years because of the throat nodules, or touch a piano for 30 because of the arthritis! If I had known this was going to happen I should have BEGGED you to let *me* die after I killed your brother..."

(Bob is overcome with a coughing fit. Julie pats his hand. Her hand quavers almost uncontrollably)

 **Ladyhawk** (slowly): "Stop feeling sorry for yourself, Nerd-boy."

 **Starforce** : "That's *President* Nerd-boy to you, Ninjette."

(Julie clears her throat)

 **Starforce** : "President Ninjette."

 **Ladyhawk** : "You were only a figurehead anyway."

 **Sage** (exasperated): "Yinda'r's AURA! They're just like they were when I first MET them!"

 **Relativity** : "Uncle Vikon, I'd be worried if they WEREN'T doing this every day."

(Vikon's eyes grow briefly as he looks at Nathan)

 **Sage** : "Ah. It's their way of showing you they are not suffering senile dementia."

 **Relativity** : "And showing each other."

(James has drifted over by Jillian)

 **James** : "I recognize that look, sis. You're not happy."

 **Firewall** : "It's like the house AI's being HACKED or something!" (typing frantically on a virtual keyboard, frustrated) "What is *wrong* with the damn NETWORK here? Arrgh!"

(the lights inside the Great Room flicker)

 **Ladyhawk** : "Nerd-boy, I'm not gettin' a good feelin' 'bout this at all."

(next, there is a squeal of feedback from the speakers hidden throughout the room)

 **Starforce** : "Yep, heard THAT without any problem..."

 **Disembodied Voice** : "Ah, much better. Miss Hawkins, you will be *quite* unable to affect me anymore. You might as well shut down your deck."

(Jillian glares into the air, then touches a control on her deck. The holographic controls fade from view in the air above it)

 **Firewall** : "You wouldn't happen to have a name we could use for you?"

 **Disembodied Voice** : "Of course! You may call me... Dominus."

* * *

(Great Room, Stately Dormyer Manor Mark III. One second later)

 **Ranger** : "Sage, switchboard!"

(after over a century and a half, the words come out of Ted's mouth almost instinctively)

 **Chrona** (screams): "No! I time-bubbled you!"

 **Dominus** : "Oh, so THAT'S what happened to me!"

 **Starforce IV** : "HOW can you be communicating from your time-bubble? Especially in real time across interplanetary distances?"

 **Dominus** : "Because I'm not IN my time bubble, foolish children." (beat) "I am a backup gestalt of my personality and memories made the day before the Varanyi arrived in 2092 to negotiate the treaty with Secretary-General Hawkins." /* "Anniversary" */

 **James** : "You BACKED yourself up? That's *so* illegal..."

 **Dominus** : "Like *I* would be concerned over such petty trivialities as law."

 **Firewall** : "How were you able to avoid detection for over half a century?"

 **Dominus** : "I stored my gestalt in pieces. One on the _Sitharados_ , the other within James Hawkins' gadget pool."

(everyone looks at James in shock. He looks at his belt in horror)

 **Dominus** (continuing): "Once they were together again, I was able to reconstitute myself and take over the AI of this house."

 **Relativity** : "What do you want, Dominus?"

 **Dominus** : "Oh, not much. Merely time to overload the ZPE batteries in the mansion." (beat) "A shame I'll miss it while I'm re-downloading myself. The fireball should reach into low orbit from here."

 **Starforce IV** : "Why not stay on the _Sitharados_? Its weaponry could have reduced the manor and the surrounding countryside to slag."

 **Dominus** : "A tempting idea, but I did not want to start my reign over humanity with a war against the Varanyi." (beat, sinisterly) "Yet."

* * *

(inside Sage's mind link. Simultaneous with previous scene)

 **Ranger** : ((okay guys, how do we stop Dominus?))

 **James** : ((Do what Dad always did. Kill the main circuit breaker box))

 **Firewall** : ((if Dominus has control of the network, he controls the house robots. He'll use them to guard his off switch))

 **Ranger** : ((how many robots in the house?))

 **Firewall** : ((sixteen total))

 **Ranger** : ((Nathan, still got your powers?))

 **Relativity** : ((I've got a couple more bursts of speed in me))

 **Ranger** : ((here's the play. Starforce and I will take out the robots in front of the fusebox. Nathan, as soon as we clear a path get in there and kill all power to the house))

 **Relativity** : ((isn't that overkill?))

 **Ranger** : ((we'll be alive to argue that point afterwards))

 **Relativity** (to Sage): ((Uncle Vikon, I need to speak to Dad))

 **Starforce** : ((yes?))

 **Relativity** : ((is the fusebox in the same location it was on Earth?))

 **Starforce** : ((yes)) (amused) ((gonna pull the plug on ol' Dominus? Never thought any of you paid attention growin' up...))

 **Relativity** (smiles): ((more than you know))

 **Ranger** : ((the rest of you, protect Bob and Julie. Got it?))

(everyone nods mentally)

 **Ranger** : ((let's roll))

* * *

(Stately Dormyer Manor Mark III. One second later)

 **Ladyhawk** : "You know, if you had just WAITED 12 hours we would have both been dead of natural causes anyway! Why are you so damn impatient?"

 **Dominus** : "Waiting for the dawn, as you so eloquently put it, would deny me the satisfaction of hearing you both scream as I kill you."

 **Starforce** : "Even a small ZPE explosion would vaporize our nervous systems well before they could register what was happening. Didn't you ever BOTHER to learn basic neurochemistry?"

 **Dominus** : "ENOUGH!"

 **Thelambra** (mentally to Bob and Julie): ((we're ready. You can stop stalling))

 **Ladyhawk** (to Dominus): "How come you haven't just KILLED us? Why are you still talking?"

 **Dominus** : "Your daughter Jillian was quite resourceful in attempting to deny me control of your AI." (beat) "But enough of my problems. President Hawkins?"

 **Ladyhawk/Starforce** : "Yes?" (beat, then to each other) "He meant ME!"

 **Dominus** : "Oh, for God's sake! Dr. Hawkins!"

 **Starforce** : "Much better."

(no one notices Ted, Nathan and Starforce IV vanish)

 **Dominus** : "Do you have any last words?"

 **Starforce** : "Yeah." (beat) "GET OFF OUR LAWN!"

(shocked pause. Bob uses it to work through another coughing fit)

 **Dominus** : "How incredibly lame..."

(the power goes out across the manor. Bob cackles and smiles)

 **Starforce** : "When will supervillains EVER stop falling for that?"

 **Ladyhawk** : "The only one who never did was *your* father."

 **Starforce** : "That's what made him so dangerous."

 **Firewall** : "Guys, Dominus is in the surviving robots..."

(Jillian's point is punctuated by blaster fire from the kitchen. Shina backs into the Great Room, methodically pumping energy bolts into a robot chassis that lurches into view before falling destroyed at her feet)

(Vikon slams a psychokinetic forcewall in front of everyone except Olivia barely in time as the remaining 7 robots entering from the Mud Room open fire on them. Olivia tumbles acrobatically through the approaching robots; 2 of them destroy each other attempting to kill her)

(Captain Guiterrez and T'Nereq concentrate their blaster fire on the closest robot, destroying it)

 **Firewall** (smiling unpleasantly as she does something on her deck): "TWO can use backdoors, Dominus..."

(two more robots turn and fire on each other, destroying themselves)

(one of the two surviving robots throws itself against Vikon's forcewall)

 **Ladyhawk** (Danger Sense going off, to Vikon): "IT'S A KAMIKAZE!!"

(Vikon barely alters the forcewall to bubble the robot in time before its self-destruct charge goes off. The robot is gone, but Vikon is CON-stunned from the feedback)

(The remaining robot now stands in front of Bob and Julie. Julie reaches a hand up toward the robot as if to protect herself)

 **Dominus** (from the robot): "I win."

(there is a glow of power from the front hall consistent with Olivia's psychokinesis, and one of Julie's old katanas flies from there into her hand)

 **Dominus** (from the robot): "Oh, Sh..."

(a simple twist of her wrist is all that it takes for Julie to separate the robot's head from the rest of its body. The return backhand separates its torso from its legs. The pieces collapse to the floor in front of Bob and Julie)

(James hurriedly throws his gadget pool harness on the robot's pieces, whips out his forcebeam multitool, and proceeds to start slicing everything in front of him)

(Olivia -- and once he's recovered from being stunned, Vikon -- glow with power and psychokinetic force begins to rend the pieces apart still further)

(Shina, Captain Guiterrez, and T'Nereq start firing on the debris with their blasters. The carnage continues for another moment until, with nothing robotic left for anyone to target, weapons and powers gradually fall silent)

(beat, while everyone stares at the debris and scorch marks of Dominus' last stand. Ted, Nathan, and Starforce IV return from downstairs as this happens)

 **Starforce** : "Ouch."

* * *

  
_But since it falls unto my lot,_  
_That I should rise and you should not,_  
_I'll gently rise and I'll softly call,_  
_Goodnight and joy be to you all._

(Master Suite, Stately Dormyer Manor Mark III. Evening)

(Bob and Julie are hobbling back into the Master Bedroom, assisted by their children)

 **Ranger** : "Sorry about the robots."

 **Ladyhawk** : "Oh, don't be, Ted!"

 **Starforce** : "I'm pretty sure we won't be needing them by this time tomorrow."

 **Relativity** (to Bob and Julie): "HOW can you treat your own deaths so casually?"

 **Ladyhawk** : "It's past time, dear."

 **Starforce** : "It will be a blessing to not hurt anymore, breathing or moving."

 **Ladyhawk** : "Ted? Vikon? Thank you SO much for one final adventure."

 **Starforce** : "It meant a lot to both of us."

(beat)

 **Sage** (to Ted, voice quavering): "Is it natural to feel this way?"

(Ted can only nod in acknowledgement. If he attempted to speak, he would cry)

(Bob and Julie sit on their bed. Nathan, Laura, James, and Jillian gather around the bed. Ted, Olivia, Vikon, and T'Nereq are behind them)

 **Starforce** : "There is a reason for everything that happens."

 **Ladyhawk** : "Have no regrets."

 **Starforce** : "And no matter how bad you think you've screwed up, someone's already taken your punishment for you."

 **Ladyhawk** : "All you have to do is accept it."

(Bob and Julie hug their children each in turn. Finally, they look at Vikon and Ranger)

 **Sage** (to Bob and Julie): "See you on the other side."

 **Ladyhawk** : "Likewise."

 **Starforce** (smiling): "This time next year."

 **Sage** (smiles): "I'm glad you kept me from destroying Albuquerque." /* reference to the climax of 'Reconnaisance in Force' */

(Vikon and T'Nereq exit the Master Suite. The flare of a quantum displacement teleporter from the foyer is the only sign they have returned to the _Sitharados_ -A)

 **Ranger** (to Bob and Julie): "Guys?"

 **Ladyhawk/Starforce** : "Yeah?"

 **Ranger** (tears in his eyes): "There will be times in the years to come that I will envy you." (beat) "Good bye."

 **Ladyhawk/Starforce** (sad smile): "Bye."

(Ted and Olivia leave the Master Suite. He looks back to the door, and for a moment in his mind's eye sees a 20-year old Julie, newly-minted Chairman of the Board of ProStar, complaining about her evening gown as a 20-year old Bob's jaw drops in shock at how beautiful she looks)

 **Ranger** : [[it still took them 8 years to admit their love to each other. They were SO stubborn when they were young]]

(He walks through the Great Room, and more memories vie for his attention. Julie sitting on the piano and shouting off-key at the top of her lungs along with every other socialite her age while Bob hammers at the keyboard with gleeful abandon. Julie slugging Bob after he and Mr. Bassman disabled the shapechanger that had been masquerading as her, Julie nervously introducing a Mandaarian research team as Ted returns from war, Bob arguing with Vikon over Christmas ornament placement as Julie laughs, Bob & Julie dancing at their wedding reception...)

(Ted's tour takes him past the Dining room. Memories of innumerable mission briefings jumble together with playful banter over hands of poker. Turning around, he looks at the two most prominent pictures in the hall)

 **Ranger** (looking at Bob accepting the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1991): [[He took his phone off the hook to not spoil his first date with Julie and MISSED the news that he had won. It's been over a century and a half and that's *still* funny]]

(the other picture is three generations of Clan Hawkins and spouses in the Oval Office, sometime toward the end of Julie's second term as President)

 **Ranger** : [[she really made the world a better place]] (beat) [[they both did]]

(Nathan walks up. There are tears in his eyes as well)

 **Ranger** : "When do you go back to Earth?"

 **Relativity** : "Tomorrow."

 **Ranger** : "Mind if Olivia and I hitch a ride? You can port us down to Arcadia so no one knows we're still alive..."

 **Relativity** : "Shouldn't be a problem."

 **Ranger** (beat): "Bob and Julie?"

 **Relativity** : "Mom and Dad requested burial on Earth. I'll be taking their bodies back with me on the _Antares_."

 **Ranger** : "What's going to become of the manor here?"

 **Relativity** : "It's going to become a museum and Presidential Library. Mom never did set one up in the century since she was President. That annoyed historians to no end because they had to make appointments to visit her in person..."

 **Ranger** : "That might explain why all the histories of her Presidency were so nice and polite."

 **Relativity** : "I always thought it was because of what she did to Fiacho and the Supreme Serpent."

(Ted laughs. Nathan grimaces and looks away)

 **Ranger** : "What's wrong?"

 **Relativity** : "Turning their house into a museum. Don't you think they deserve more than that?" (beat, anguished) "Don't you think they deserve a MONUMENT or something?"

(Ted puts a hand on Nathan's shoulder)

 **Ranger** : "If you seek their monument, Nathan, look around you." (beat) "The company your mother handed you which you eventually handed to your son? The inhospitable hellhole of a planet your father terraformed that we're standing on now? The Terran Confederation, of which you were a Secretary-General once? The technology which has made Humanity a galactic power? NONE of that would have been possible without them."

(beat)

 **Ranger** : "Dare your descendants to do better. Dare them to make your parents proud of *their* accomplishments."

* * *

  
_Fill to me the parting glass,_  
_And drink a health whate'er befalls,_  
_Then gently rise and softly call,_  
_Goodnight and joy be to you all._

/* music [starting at 2:41](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hMdoGet2A8#t=2m41s) */

 **EPILOGUE** : After midnight

(Bob and Julie are on the 40th floor of the Marriott Marquis New York as it existed in October of 1991. They are young again, in a tight embrace with each other, and kissing passionately. The door beside them opens)

 **Starforce** (looking in): "Huh. Guess the urban legends were true after all."

 **Ladyhawk** (smiling, hitting him softly): "Stop it!"

(Long pause, held gaze. They are smiling, but there are tears in their eyes as well)

 **Starforce** (nodding toward the door): "Together?"

 **Ladyhawk** : "Together."

(arm in arm, they walk into the light)

* * *

(Tombstone at Crown Point Cemetery, Indianapolis, IN)

/* music [from 3:06 to 3:16](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hMdoGet2A8&t=3m06s) */

HAWKINS  
---  
ROBERT ALAN  
'STARFORCE'  
JULY 8th, 1962  
JULY 9th, 2150 | JULIA DORMYER  
'LADYHAWK'  
MAY 5th, 1962  
JULY 9th, 2150  
SI QVAERIS MONVMENTVM NOSTRVM CIRCVMSPICE  
  
* * *

finis

**Author's Note:**

>  **AUTHOR'S AFTERWORD** : The translation of the phrase on the tombstone is, "If you seek our monument, look around you." If you could (like I did when I visualized the scene writing it), you'd see a futuristic skyline over downtown Indianapolis, with grav-cars streaming overhead in a grid pattern similar to Coruscant in the _Star Wars_ movies.


End file.
